Ars Amatoria RRTC: Together Forever: Jen & Alex
by Hope Strong
Summary: To develope some random ideas that have come to my head, I decided to take on Ars Amatoria romantic themes challenge with my favorite couple. Most of the chapters have no relation between themselves, just random ideas grouped here.
1. Why?

Ars Amatoria Romance Themes Challenge:

#17: Why?

Standing on the deserted corridor, Alex Drake took a deep breath. At his feet, rested a small box he had carefully packed and sealed.

He wasn't ready to do this, but it had been his life philosophy to cut from the root everything that hurt him, however, even if nothing should be more natural to him than being there, ready to finish this off, he felt his will weakened, as his heart refused to let this one go, to cut this one from the root.

He looked at the door and wondered if she even was home, maybe she had gone out with her friends, despite everything it was a Friday and she had plenty of reasons to celebrate: she was a heroine, she was famous, she was successful and, more importantly, she was being promoted. On the other hand, she could be in the apartment crying, nothing mattering to her but the absence of a man who was not Alex.

Pressing his back against the wall, Alex looked down at the box that lay at his feet. He had spent all week packing it, little by little, the few small things she had left behind when she had cleared her presence from the apartment that had been theirs, and now was all his. For a moment his heart tried to convince him to wait a little longer, to convince him that it could still be worked out, but he denied himself the hope this time. He had been hoping for months, he had been clinging to a woman who was no longer his companion for too long, it wasn't going to get better, it wasn't going to be worked out just fine. It was simply over, and the only thing left was the goodbyes, the good wishing and the answers.

He finally brought himself to ring the bell, if she was home, it was better to just finish it off quickly, and just like wounds, it wouldn't hurt at the moment, it would remain numb for a little while and then it would hurt very much, but he hoped to be alone in his apartment at the time, to cope with the pain the best he could.

After a few seconds, the door opened and she stood in front of him. "Alex?" she asked surprised.

"Good, you're home," he said. "I thought maybe you had gone out."

"No, I didn't feel like going out. I stayed watching movies," she gave him a quick smile. "What can I do for you?"

Alex bent and carefully picked the little box from the floor, his back straining. "I came to bring you some stuff you left at the apartment," he began, presenting her with it. "And to say the final goodbyes," he finished, before he could stop himself.

"The final goodbyes?" She asked. "Are you going anywhere?"

"Out of your life," he said simply. "And I wanted to ask you a question."

"You don't want to work things out, do you?" she asked, sounding rather sad, as she took the box from him.

"There's no point, if you no longer love me," he said, trying to keep his cool and hoping he looked brave and decided, despite his immense desire to kneel at her feet and beg her to take him back. "I just want to know why. I mean, I know you fell in love with Wes, but I want to know why you fell out of love with me." He stopped talking and swallowed hard, realising he was cowardly staring at the floor and not at her.

"I didn't." she whispered. He looked up at her and saw her eyes full of tears.

"Then why did you break up with me?"

"I guess it just backfired." She was the one looking away from him now, her eyes staring at the wall behind him.

"What did? If you never fell out of love with me, then why did you break up with me?"

"To give you time to miss me, to give you a reason to treasure me, to stop you from taking me for granted." She said. "I just wanted you to value me, to realize what you had lost; now I wasn't with you anymore. I just—" her voice broke and she swallowed. "I just didn't want you to take me for granted."

He looked at her, unable to believe her words. He felt a small flame of anger rise inside of him, but he subdued it, he would deal with it later. "You were the best thing that ever happened in my love life, Jennifer. I loved you like I never loved any other woman, and I don't think I can ever give anyone my heart as fully as I gave it to you. You brought colour, happiness and laughter back into my grey boring life. I thanked the lord every morning for you, and every night again, when I held you in my arms. You were my angel, my treasure, my blessing, I felt so fortunate to have you by side, Jennifer. I never did, and I never would have taken you for granted."

She looked at him, but his face showed nothing but sadness, tainted with a bit of disappointment. "I'm so sorry, Alex," she whispered tearfully.

"Me too, Jennifer. Me too."


	2. Dream

Ars Amatoria Romance Themes Challenge:

#35: Dream

Jen dismounted her bike and morphed quietly, entering the warehouse where a mutant kept her fellow rangers hostage. To her surprise, it was brightly lit. She was being expected.

The mutant was standing in front of her, a pair of its tentacles folded in front of its chest. Jen stood guarded and pulled out her weapon.

"Where are my team mates?" she asked loudly.

"Over there," said the mutant easily, pointing at Trip, Katie and Lucas, wrapped in the creatures slimy extremities.

"Let them go," she said, although she knew it was useless. It didn't go past her the fact Alex was not amongst the tied rangers. Maybe he was free and had a plan to escape?

She had been wondering about Alex, so the sound of Lucas, Katie and Trip, falling limply at her feet startled her. "There you go," the mutant said, a cruel smile spread across it features.

"Guys, are you okay?" Jen asked, without taking her eyes off of the mutant.

"Yeah, I think," Katie whispered, getting to her feet with difficulty.

"They can't help you," the mutant said.

"What!" Jen asked looking at it.

The mutant stretched three tentacles and forced Katie, Trip and Lucas out of the warehouse, closing the door behind them. Jen turned and bewildered saw these actions, her gaze returning to the mutant when it let out a sigh.

"Well, now it's just you and me," it said, Jen took a step back. "I like you, pink ranger, so I will let you choose who gets to live."

"What are you talking about?"

"You get to chose who gets the prize and the girl," the mutant continued, with a slight courtesy nod to her.

"What prize? What are you saying?" she said, feeling more and more confused.

One of the mutant's many tentacles flew forward and deposited the Red Time Force morpher at her feet.

"Wes's morpher…"she whispered bewildered.

"Made your choice already?" the mutant asked with a mock surprise tone.

"Choice?" Jen asked, gazing up and suddenly understanding.

The mutant moved two of its tentacles and Jen let out a gasp of surprise when she finally saw them: Alex and Wes, hanging by the neck from the mutants tentacles.

"Wes! What are you doing here? How did you even get here?" she asked, but for all response, she got hit by a tentacle.

"PAY ATTENTION!" the mutant demanded. "Now, unmorph!" Jen hesitated, still looking at the identical figures hanging in front of her. "Do it now, or I'll kill them both!"

She obeyed, and her eyes, now visible, filled with tears. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I want you to choose one of these fine gentlemen. The one you choose gets to live as the red time force ranger, and if he's lucky, he might even get to keep your heart. The other one will, of course, die."

"No." Jen whimpered, cowering back.

"What do you mean 'no'?" the mutant asked. "You want me to kill them both?"

"NO!" she said stepping forward, fear getting her heart.

"Then choose one."

"I can't! I can't choose one!"

"Fine! Let's hear what they have to say; maybe they can convince you to choose one of them." As it said those words, it uncovered Alex and Wes's mouths and lowered them to the ground, so they could talk to her.

"Jen! Get out of here now! It's going to kill all three of us any way!" Wes said.

"Wes, I can't do that! I couldn't live with myself!"

"If you don't you won't be able to live at all!" Wes said, looking concernedly at her. She stepped towards him and put a hand on his face.

"I'd rather die, than being responsible for your deaths" she said, looking into his eyes.

Alex was strangely quiet, he looked almost peaceful. Jen looked at him and he smiled at her. "Save him," he said simply.

"What?"

"Save him. He'll make you as happy as I couldn't make you. He'll be a great red ranger. Save him."

"No." Jen said, ignoring Wes for a moment, her eyes lost in Alex's blue gaze. "Don't say that, you made me happy, you…"

"If you save me, he'll die and history will change and we won't ever meet, or even exist. I'd rather die now, after having you, even briefly, than not ever meeting you at all."

"I can't do this! I can't choose one of them!" she whimpered, her face now soaked with tears.

"Choose him," Alex insisted.

"I can't!"

"Why not? You love him, he's here to stay, choose him and have him."

"No," she whimpered.

"Jennifer," he said sweetly. "Don't be stubborn."

"I can't have you killed," she looked at the mutant. "Take me, kill me, and let them both go."

"That is not an option," the mutant said cruelly. "You either choose Mr. Collins, or Mr. Drake. Don't worry; you can take your time."

"Jen," Wes said, calling her attention. "Save him. He's better than me, he's trained, and he loves you deeply. He's the best option."

"No," Alex said. "He is! It's better for everyone to save him, Jen."

"It's not better for me," Jen said.

"Jen, you can't always have you want," Alex said.

"I had what I wanted, and I let it go once. I can't let it go again," she said stepping close to him, caressing his face with her hand.

He closed his eyes, his expression crossed with pleasure and pain. "You have to save him. It's best for everyone. You already chose him once, you can do it again. You love him."

"I still love you," she admitted, looking into his eyes. "I'm still in love with you,"

"No, you are not," he whispered. "Save him."

She shook her head. "No. There's got to be another way."

"There is no other way," Alex said. He looked at her tenderly and said: "I love you Jennifer."

His words filled her with warmth and happiness; she had wanted to hear those words again for so long. "I love you too, Alex."

"You know what you have to do," he said, she felt like she was being hypnotized, she simply nodded. "You are brave, and strong. I love you." He repeated. Jen moved closer to Alex and pressed her lips over his for a moment.

She stepped back and looked at the mutant. "I made my choice," she said, looking at both of them. "I'm so sorry," she began. She turned to the mutant. "Release…"

Jen opened her eyes, and found herself on bed, late at night, her face soaked in tears. She sat up trying to calm herself, but instead, felt herself breaking down and began to cry. Her dream had been bizarre, no mutant would ever let her make that choice, but it was a good symbol. The great big choice she had to make, between Wes and Alex, as she had been feeling insecure for a while about her feelings for both of them, but now, after this dream, she knew, and it hurt her to know.

She didn't know how long she cried, but when she calmed down, she extended a hand and dialed a number on the telephone. A holographic screen appeared floating in front of her, and soon, Alex's face looked at her from it, looking as though she had just woken him.

"Jen, what's going on?" he asked. He looked closer at her and then asked, urgently. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine now." She said. "I just need to tell you something important."


	3. Fight

Ars Amatoria Romance Themes Challenge:

#34: Fight.

Jen woke up with every inch of her body hurting. At first she couldn't remember what had happened, but it all came back to her very slowly.

The mutant running into the alley.

Running after the mutant.

Realizing she was going after the mutant by herself.

"The bastard left me alone!" she whispered angrily.

"Jen! You're awake!" It was Katie's voice, sounding happy.

"What happened?"

"You took a serious beating. Michael left you by yourself to go after the human criminals."

"The bastard!" Jen whispered spitefully again.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes," Jen said sitting up. "Can I go now?"

"I think so, you were supposed to stay here until you woke up, and now you've woken up. Let me go get the doctor."

While Katie went to get the doctor, Jen sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window. Alex had been her patrolling partner, but after the breakup she had felt it would be too weird, and had requested a new partner. Alex had told her it didn't matter to him, but she could tell it did.

Michael had been assigned to her, and he wasn't anywhere near Alex. He made her feel unsafe, alone, and he had this knack for pissing her off that nobody she had ever met had had. She even began to understand why Alex couldn't stand to see him and he guy seemed to have a natural dislike for Alex too. After he learned she had broken up with Alex, he seemed to think she disliked him as much as he did, and told her every single bad thing about Alex he could remember, or make up. Jen had given him a chance, and he had proven not only annoying but also inefficient, and today it had been the last straw, he had left her alone to fight a mutant, and had run after the human criminals.

Katie came back with the doctor and after a quick check the physician told her she could go home and rest.

"Come on," Katie told her, helping her up.

"Katie, I'm fine. I need to go to the office," Jen said, walking towards her office, located on the same floor.

"Not now, you need to rest," said Katie, pushing the elevator button.

"I have to go to the office, Katie. I want my old partner back."

"You can request him tomorrow; right now you have to rest," Katie said, trying to pull her towards the elevator.

"Just let me make the request and I'll go home." Katie gave her a stern look, but she kept walking towards her office. "I promise."

"Fine. I'll go with you."

As they walked towards Jen's office, they heard a big commotion at the end of the hallway. Then they heard glass shattering and someone yelling in pain, followed by someone yelling in anger.

Forgetting about her pain, Jen ran alongside Katie towards the end of the hallway, where Alex's office was located, and found him hitting Jen's new partner, Michael, with all the strength and anger he could muster, sitting on his chest and pushing him against the bits of glass that had once been the door to Alex's office. Michael finally managed to return one of Alex's punches and hit him across the jaw, but he might as well have hit the wall, for Alex gave no sign of even feeling it.

He kept punching Michael, and nobody seemed willing to stop him. Michael finally managed to get Alex off his chest and they engaged in a regular street fight, a fighting style that served Alex a lot better than Michael.

After punching Alex a couple of times, Michael found himself on the floor again, serving as a punching bag for Alex.

"Alex!" Jen had finally found her voice back. "Alex, what are you doing?!"

"Beating this asshole up," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Alex, you…" She approached him, but he didn't stop. "You can't do that!" She finally grabbed his fist and held it in place. "Stop it!"

"This asshole…Jen…" Alex could hardly breathe, he was so tired and mad.

He moved to hit Michael again, but the other man put up his hands to cover his face and yelled: "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Say it like you mean it…" Alex threatened with his fist still high.

"I'm sorry Jen, I'm sorry."

"Alex! Stop this! Let him go, you're acting like an animal!" Jen said, looking at his eyes. "This isn't you, Alex. What is wrong with you?"

"Jen… Jen…you exchanged me for him…" he whispered, sounding mortified for some reason.

"Alex, that is not good enough reason to hit him like this. You're acting like a schoolboy!" she said angrily. "I thought you were better than this. You are beating him up because you're jealous?"

"No…" Alex said. He made to continue his answer, but then a fist crossed his face, throwing him to the floor, where he cut his hands with the glass.

"Now it's my turn, bitch!" yelled Michael, pushing Jen out of the way and proceeding to hit Alex repeatedly across the face.

Both men engaged in a fight again, and Alex recovered quickly and was about to hit the other man again when Jen stepped in front of him. "That's enough!" she yelled. "Look at him!" she said, pointing at Michael's bloody face, all swollen and turning purple. "Look at yourself!" she said. Alex had a few cuts in his face as well as his hands, and one of his eyes was swelling as well. "Come on." She grabbed him by the arm and led him to his office.

"Jen…" Alex said sitting on the chair behind his desk. "You exchanged me for him…"

"Don't talk," said Jen sternly, looking for his first aid kit. She had forgotten her own pain with the shock of seeing Alex behave like that. She began cleaning his cuts and put a cold bandage over his swollen eye. "I can't believe this! You are the last person I ever thought would do something like this!"

"You replaced me with him!"

"I get the point! You are jealous!" she said dismissively.

"It's not that!" he said. "I'm not jealous, even if I think it was unnecessary for you to change partners. You know better than anyone, I don't mix work with personal stuff. That's the reason you broke up with me."

"Then why did you hit Michael so brutally?" she asked, sitting in front of him, looking at him with her face full of concern and sweetness. She was startled by Alex's behaviour; it was bound to get him sanctioned severely.

"The bastard left you alone in an alley to fight a mutant, and went after human criminals."

"I know."

"Yes, well, that's not all. The human criminals escaped, and he went back, and saw from the shadows the beating you were getting, and ran away. The bastard called an ambulance, saying you were dead!"

"WHAT?!" Jen exclaimed, surprised.

"My heart nearly stopped, Jennifer. I swear it stopped beating for a moment when I heard him say you were dead. He didn't just run away, he didn't help you and then left you for dead! He had the balls to say he thought you could handle it, but that obviously you weren't as good as they made it seem, because that monster had beaten the crap out of you. He called you an overrated stupid bitch. He was so cool saying that, saying that you really couldn't fight, that it was all publicity, that you were inept and stupid and that it had been great to see that mutant beating the crap out of you, because that would put your ego in place. I've wanted to beat him to death for such a long time, and this seemed like such a good reason."

"Did he say all those things to your face? Was he trying to get you to beat him?"

"No. He told Logan. Logan told me. I called him to my office and he admitted to it, probably trying to provoke me into a fight. He got his wish."

"Except it wasn't an actual fight, it was you almost beating him to death. You are going to be punished for this, Alex, you know that."

"It was worth it, that coward left you for dead, Jennifer. He left you for dead." He put his injured hand on her check and caressed it tenderly.

"I'm not dead, Alex," she said, caressing his cheek in return. "I want you back as my patrolling partner, Alex. With you, I was safe."

"I'd be honored, after I'm back from the suspension I've earned myself with this."

"Was it really worth it?" she asked. "Is all the pain you've gotten from this worth it?"

"For you, everything is worth it." He leaned back on the chair and sighed. "My Jennifer, for you everything is worth it."


	4. Moonlight

Note: The idea for this particular chapter is very loosely inspired by Meat Loaf's "You took the Words right out of my mouth."

Ars Amatoria Romance Theme Challenge.

#49: Moonlight.

He was here. Standing proud, looking at the city out the window, marveled at what the world looked like ten centuries before his own time, our own time. He stood there, the light from the sunset reflecting on his face, making him look somewhat yellowish.

Watching him from the couch where I sat, I began to remember why I had fallen in love with him, which I had forgotten amongst all the events of that day. As he stood there, I watched him, and I found myself wishing he would kiss me, but I just knew he wouldn't. He was working right now, this was no social visit, and the only reason he had gotten up from the computer was because he was waiting for the results of some scan, not because he had wanted to.

He turned away from the window and his eyes caught mine. I saw a sparkle in his eyes when he looked at me, and he flashed me a small and quick smile before walking back towards the computer. I noticed it took him a few deep breaths to focus on his work and recompose his face into a serious mask. For some reason that made me smile.

The others had gone out, trying to get as far away from him as possible. I had decided to stay with him; I knew he was just feeling lonely, that he needed company that wasn't openly hostile. Across the room, in the table, he cursed softly, punching the table.

Apparently the results weren't what he had expected. He got up, looking frustrated and defeated. My poor baby, he took this too personally, he always had. Maybe he needed something truly personal to forget about this, to help him relax.

"Alex?" I asked. He looked at me, his face still showing frustration and anger.

"Yes?"

"Let's go for a walk," I suggested. He looked at me and then at the computer, looking torn. Finally he seemed to decide my idea was much better.

"Let's go." He said with a smile.

We descended the clock tower's stairs silently. He was still musing about his mission, and I was still musing about him, about us. In that moment I had to admit Wes had found his way into my heart, somehow replacing Alex a little bit, but as he took my hand at the door and led me outside, I couldn't help but thinking he was still my baby.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked softly, the way he always did in our dates.

"How about the beach?" I suggested. He nodded his approval, giving me a full fledge smile this time, which made me smile too. As he wrapped his arm around my waist I realized just how much I had missed him, his warmth and his smell.We walked towards the beach holding each other closely, talking about unimportant stuff, just relaxing and sharing our time together.

Looking at Alex's face I realized I didn't care about the future, or about saving the world, or about the innocent people. I was there looking for revenge. The only reason I was there trying to get Ransik was because he defeated Alex, because he turned him into a human, when in my eyes he was a god who couldn't be defeated. Seeing Alex fainting in my arms, on the verge of death, was too hard to take in because to me he was immortal, he couldn't be defeated, and yet, Ransik had defeated him.

To hell with Ransik. To hell with Wes or the other rangers. Alex was there with me, holding me, talking to me, listening to me. And yet, he hadn't kissed me yet, I briefly wondered why.

We got to the beach, illuminated by the moonlight. The salty air revitalized us both, but the sound of waves was soothing. Alex looked at the ocean and his face darkened; he looked sad all of the sudden.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He looked at me and his eyes got even sadder as he caressed the side of my face. "Don't worry about it," he said, and I knew that was an order, he wasn't going to tell me anything.

Suddenly he brought me close to him, both of his arms wrapped around me tight, protectively, lovingly, hungrily. I heard his heart beat in his chest, faster and harder by the second, as his breathing got heavier. His hand began to caress my hair, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, squeezing him too. The world disappeared for that moment; the world was just him, his body in my arms, his arms around my body, his heart beating.

I felt my knees go weak, I lost my balance and the only thing holding me standing were his arms, but I felt suddenly so light, so free, as if in that hug he had taken the burden from me. After what felt like a very short time he let go and looked at my eyes. His face was now illuminated by the moonlight, and he looked paler than ever and yet his eyes were so loving in that moment, his face told me it was going to be okay, that he would take care of everything, and for just a few seconds I believed it, I believed he was going to take care of everything, that all I had to do was letting him do it.

He licked his lips, looking at my face. I imitated him unconsciously, wanting that kiss so much. I loved him; in that moment more than ever. I had to tell him that I loved him, that he would always have me, no matter what.

And in that second, he leaned in and kissed me, pressing his lips firmly against mine, his arms once again holing me tight. I kissed back. I had wanted that kiss for so long; especially because I had believed for so many months I was never getting another one.

His lips were as soft as I remembered, and it wasn't long before his tongue found his way into my mouth. I opened my mouth as soon as I felt his tongue caressing my lips. He deepened the kiss and I responded until I felt I was going to faint from lack of air. That's when I had to let go. We panted in each other's arms for a while, before he said sounding more honest and sincere than he ever had: "I love you."

I looked up at him, into his eyes, and he smiled and repeated it, this time even more forcefully. "I love you, Jennifer."

I smiled. He had taken the words out my mouth. There I was thinking I should tell him those three little words, and he had done so before me, after that passionate kiss.

"I love you too, Alex." I said, caressing his face with my hand, realizing it was shaking. He took it in his and held it in place, right there, on his cheek.

"It's you and me," he whispered, his voice getting sad again.

"Forever," I said.

And I meant it, forever was that moment, as we looked into each other's eyes. Forever had been that kiss we had just shared. Forever was the beat of his heart synchronizing with the beat of my heart, even if it was for just one heartbeat. Forever was the moonlight illuminating his sad face as defeat and sadness stained his gorgeous face again.

But this time I didn't worry. I held him, resting my head on his shoulder, he stayed there, silent and still. He was concerned and defeated now, I knew. But he had been happy forever, just a few seconds before, right there under the moonlight.


	5. Let me Tell You a Story

Ars Amatoria Romance Challenge

#41:"Let me tell you a story"

Jen didn't understand. It was just beyond her and the only reason she could think of was that he hadn't really loved her, ever.

She didn't know why it bothered her so much, she didn't have an answer to that question, but it did. She couldn't stop wondering why and she felt somewhat hurt that he hadn't asked her.

After thinking about it for days, she decided she wouldn't find any peace of mind unless she asked him directly and found out his reasons. So she put on some clothes and walked out of her apartment towards his, which was barely a couple of blocks away.

A few minutes later she was standing in front of his door. Filled with decision, she rang the doorbell and waited for him to come out, hoping he wouldn't just slam the door in her face. She rang twice and could hear his voice, so soft, saying, "I'm coming."

A few seconds later, the door opened and he looked at her for a second, before smiling, welcoming. "Jen," he said softly. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she smiled too, wondering what he was thinking that made him smile in the first place. "I just wanted to talk to you about something that's been eating at me," she admitted.

He moved from the door to let her in, and she walked into his apartment for the first time in a year. He had redecorated, changing the color of the walls, and some of the furniture. She smiled as she saw the couch where they had shared so many special moments was still there. Instinctively she moved towards it and sat down.

He stood in front of her for a moment, looking peaceful, and handsome, she had to admit that too. He was wearing a tank top and some pajama pants which she knew he had just put on, for he slept in his underwear.

"Can I get you anything?" he offered.

"Some water, please."

He disappeared in the kitchen for a couple of minutes and walked out with two glasses of water, one of which he handed to her. He sat down on the couch next to her, and looked at her in a way she found loving, the way he looked at her before they became a couple.

"You wanted to talk to me; I'm listening," he said softly.

She looked down, took a deep breath and then looked at him. He was so peaceful. He didn't look like he had been hurting or anything, he just looked calm. "You are not hurting," it was an accusation.

"I am," he answered calmly. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

She looked at him and said: "I want to know why you haven't asked me…" she trailed off, losing her nerve.

"Asked you what? To take me back? I couldn't, you would take me back not because you want me back, but because you feel sorry for me, so no, I won't ask for a second chance. I had mine and I wasted it." He was very calm while he said all this. Jen wished she knew his secret, because she had a knot in her throat and felt tears building up in the back of her eyes.

"I've been thinking for the past few days that you weren't hurting because you never loved me," she admitted.

He smiled understandingly. Taking her hand in his, he said: "I did love you." He looked at her eyes for a moment and rephrased: "I do love you."

"And yet you never demanded anything from me. Don't you want to know why I broke up with you?" she took her hand out of his grasp and putting it on his shoulder.

"I won't ask that because you don't know the answer," he smiled again.

"How did you—"

"I won't ask a question I couldn't answer myself," he said. "Have no right to ask you to answer me something I know you don't know."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Let me tell you a story," he began, taking her hand in his. "Years ago I had a girlfriend." When he saw her roll her eyes, he clarified, "It wasn't you." She smiled and he continued. "She was a great girlfriend, and I loved her very much. We were very happy together, we trusted each other, we were friends, it was a great relationship; we even began making plans to get more serious. And suddenly things began to cool down and three months later, I broke up with her."

"What?" Jen looked into his eyes, trying to see if he was lying.

"I fell in love with someone else, a beautiful girl, sweet, adorable, and with absolutely nothing more and nothing less than my girlfriend." He pointed at her. "That was you."

"Me?"

"Yes. I fell madly in love with you, and suddenly I woke up not loving my absolutely great girlfriend anymore. It happens, people fall out of love with other people, and in love with new people. It happened to me, and it happened to you." He caressed her cheek softly. "I love you very much, and I wish with all my heart you loved me back, but you don't, and I might not like it, but I get it," he assured her. "And I am hurting, very much, but it'll go away, I have to be convinced that it will go away."

She found herself looking into his eyes and seeing for a moment just how much he truly loved her, and a tear finally escaped her eye. "What happened?"

He dried her tear. "It doesn't matter." He kissed her forehead softly. "But what we had is gone, and it may or may not come back. You can sleep well tonight, knowing that I did love you and that I am hurting, and if it makes you feel better, I'll even ask: what does he have that I don't? Why do you love him now and not me? What did I do to drive you away?"

She looked at him with a few more tears in her eyes. He was still peaceful; she wanted him to cry, to beg, to do something. She answered his questions honestly. "I don't know."

"I knew that," he said, drying her tears. Finally, his eyes got tearful, and he even let one tear slide down his cheek for her.

She suddenly kissed him, and he kissed her back, briefly, before softly pushing her away. "No, we can't give it another try," he answered before she even asked. "Not yet, maybe later."

"What if I made a mistake?"

"If you had made a mistake, you would know."

"I think I do."

"You can't know yet, it's too soon."

"I think I'd better leave," she got to her feet and walked towards the door, Alex right behind her. She stopped at the door and turned to look at him. "I want you to know that I miss you and that I'm hurting too."

"I'll always be here for you, Jen. Before we were a couple, we were friends. To me, you'll always be the one who got away," he assured her as she opened the door.

"I wouldn't be so sure I got away," she said sadly and walked out, still looking at him.

"I shouldn't be either. Call me when you get home, I want to know you made it back all right."

"Will do."

She walked away and he closed the door. He walked towards the couch and sat there, drinking the water he had poured for himself and had never drunk. He took off his tank top and turned on the TV. A few minutes later, she called to say with a broken voice she had made it home just fine. He hung up, took off his pajama pants and got into bed, falling asleep after a while.

In her own apartment she put on her pajamas and got into bed, but unlike him, she couldn't fall asleep so easily.


	6. Green eyed Monster

Ars Amatoria Romance Challenge

#10: Green-eyed Monster

(Note: Takes place during Fight Against Fate)

As they go off to change back into their uniforms I sit down at the nearby table, move away a plate with a bitten apple on it, open an ancient looking book, close it again, and my attention falls on a small black box, from which some pictures can be seen.

I drag it towards me and open it, taking the pictures in my hand, feeling a surge of envy such as I hadn't felt in a long time. It was obvious from the pictures that Wesley Collins had integrated into the team in a way I had never been able to, not even as Jen's boyfriend.

I envy his charm, his happiness, the way the others seemed to care about him and admire him, but overall, I envy his capacity to be light-hearted and to smile and joke around, something that had been taken away from me during all those years of military training and service.

Jen comes back rather quickly, putting her jacket on. "Look, Alex, it's not like we're playing around here." I look at her briefly and then go back to the pictures. "We've been working really hard to capture Ransik." As she says that, my eyes fall on a rather interesting picture: Wes kissing her cheek as she smiled. The timing really couldn't have been better; I resist the urge to snort my disbelief and instead give her my most sarcastic face, saying the words in the hurtful manner commanded by the jealousy that consumed me suddenly.

"I can see that." I separated the picture from the others to throw it on top, to show her what I meant. "It looks like you've been working really hard." I don't stick around for a response, I throw the pictures on the table for her to see and get up, walking towards the window, taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. She follows me, I guess it wasn't hard for her to do the math.

"What's the matter with you?" she asks as she approaches me.

What's the matter with me? Well, my dear, the matter with me is I'm losing you in a totally unfair battle. He's charming, fun, caring, loving and pretty much everything I can't be, and it's obvious from miles away that you're falling in love with him and how I would like the chance to beat the crap out of him, to wipe that smile from his face permanently, just so he can't use it on you anymore.

You ask what's the matter with me, and I should tell you I'm a green-eyed monster now, I'm feeling things I haven't felt in a long time and I can't feel things I used to feel anymore, and I'm so ashamed of it I'd rather lose you than telling you.

I'm a green-eyed monster possessed by an even bigger green-eyed monster that raised its head when you went after him when he left to be with his father, when you paid more attention to him than to me, a monster that opened its eyes when I saw that picture of you smiling as he kissed you, that terrible green-eyed monster that I can't control and that is driving you even further away from me.

I don't want to hear you talk right now, so I look out the window, thinking it's so unfair you trust him in a way you never trusted me, and it's even worse that he can trust you in a way I never could. You keep nagging at me, your voice reproachful as it had never before been. Please, don't talk, love, be quiet before I snap at you, and say something I will regret later.

After giving you a few vague responses, I turn and take your hands in mine and look at your face, trying to sound dramatic as you make a bored, annoyed face. "Listen Jen, this mission is more important than you and me or anybody. Now, unless we put our emotions aside we don't stand a chance of saving the future." I'm not sure if I was telling you that, or if I was telling myself.

You look at me with your beautiful brown eyes for just a second, but I can tell you can't see me anymore. All you see is the green-eyed monster I have become, and as you take your hands away from mine I can tell you're gone. I've lost you to him, and that last thought makes the green-eyed monster inside me raise its ugly head and growl. The others approach us, and I feel anger, envy and jealousy all boil inside of me at once.

Oh, how I hate Wesley Collins. How I envy him and his goddamned smile.


	7. Home

AARRTC #40: Home.

It was ironic that the first time they danced together since they had broken up was during the wedding of the one mutual friend they thought would never get married. The party had been raving, and there were over two hundred guests, so it was difficult even to see each other. But they had, after all that time.

She knew he had been dancing with several female guests -friends of his- mainly because the bride had threatened to never talk to him again if he didn't, and he just loved her too much to lose her friendship. But she had no way of knowing it wasn't the bride he was looking forward to seeing the most that night- it was the one woman who owned his heart still, her.

She got up to get a drink, saw him, and stood there, looking dumb, staring at him, marveling at how handsome he still was, at how composed he looked, and especially at how happy he seemed.

She was standing there when he looked at her. Something in his stare made a chill run up her spine and she couldn't help but smile. He was so handsome. He turned and was about to walk in the opposite direction when the song started. She took in a sharp breath at the first chords, and he turned around, smiling as he walked towards her. She stood where she was, frozen, seeing him come closer by the second.

Finally, he was standing right in front of her. He was so gorgeous, with those bright green eyes and that carefree smile, so unlike him but so very much his own. He didn't say a single word, just looked at her from head to toe and back, pausing at the appropriate points, sending even more chills up her spine. He offered his hand and she took it, her gaze fixed on his gorgeous green eyes.

Slowly, he led her to the dance floor, stopping right in the middle, bringing her closer to him, placing his left hand on her bare back, and taking her right hand in his, as if they were waltzing. She let out a giggle, but he said nothing still, simply leading her through the dance. After a few minutes, he placed his right hand on her back as well, surrounding her, and she placed both of her hands on his shoulders. Their bodies got closer as did their faces, and they never looked away from each other.

It was their moment, right then. They were lost into each other, their minds flying through years of memories they had been fighting to lock away, and they found themselves loving each other as much as the first day, completely and deeply. During those brief minutes they relived years of tenderness and lovingness, passion and desire, hopes and dreams. No bad memories came to them as they danced, no fights, no tragedies, no tears, nothing but the good times.

The song was reaching its end, and they both felt the urge to do something, to make that moment last longer. She caressed his cheek softly and he brought her even closer, moving his right hand to caress her hair away from her face. The last chords of the song began to mix with the first from the next one and they began to part, slowly and sadly.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, whispering his thanks for the dance. She thanked him back, not rushing to take her hand away from his. They gave each other one last look, and he couldn't resist anymore, he brought her close and kissed her deeply, wrapping her small frame with his arms.

She kissed back, her own thin arms surrounding his neck, hanging on to the kiss until her lungs began to call for air, and even then, she hung on, begging for just one more second, just one more.

They parted at last, and the look on his eyes was filled with love and tenderness, with just a hint of passion. The look in her eyes was also full of love and passion, but hers was stained with regret. He thanked her again, and began to walk away. She caught up with him and pressed her body firmly to his back, hugging him from behind strongly, and then, directly into his ear, she whispered: "Take me home."

He turned in her embrace and looked at her silently. She pressed her forehead against his, her desire getting the best of her, she didn't know where they would go from there, she didn't know what to do or how to fix things, but she knew, suddenly, after an entire year, that she wanted to be with him again, at least one more time, just them and their hearts, no clothes, no masks, no plans. "Take me home tonight, Alex," she repeated, more urgently.

"And then what?"

"And then make love to me, just like the old times."

"I meant in the morning; what do we do in the morning?"

"Take me home with you tonight," she said softly. "And I'll tell you in the morning."


	8. Chance

Ars Amatoria Romance Themes Challenge

# 57: Chance

The night passed incredibly fast and before they knew it, Jen and Alex were lying on his bed, bathed by the first rays of sunlight. She moved her body closer to his, cuddling to his chest. In response, he kissed the top of her head and hugged her tighter.

"That was awesome," she whispered. "It was everything I expected and more."

"Thanks for the good review," he joked.

"I mean it." She looked up to his face. "Thank you for taking my offer and giving me a chance to be with you again."

"Who said I did this for you?" he asked, smirking mischievously.

"Nobody. But we both know you did."

"Well, since we are on it, you owe me an answer. You promised you'd tell me in the morning what we were going to do after, and it's the morning already." He pointed at the window. "What do we do now? And don't say we could 'give it another try.'"

Not knowing what to make of his words, she looked at him. "Well, last night was a good opportunity to relive the passion and find what we've missed, I think." As she talked, her hand began to wander softly across his chest and abs. "For me, it was the chance to remember why I missed you so much, and how much I want you back." She kissed his shoulder twice. "I guess you discovered you miss me too, so why shouldn't we give it another try?" One last kiss, on his jaw. "Don't you want me back?"

"I don't want to give it another try," he said softly, playing cool to her caresses.

"Why not?"

"This is our last chance, Jennifer. And I either do things, or don't do things, but I don't try." He caressed her hair away from her face, as she smiled.

"Well, then." She sat up and put a hand on his chest. "I say that right now," she moved closer, her face an inch away from his, "we have to do this all the way." He moved in and kissed her, she let her body fall on top of him and he hugged her. "I love you," she told him when the passionate kiss ended. "I love you now as much as ever."

"Well, that's not fair." He caressed her hair and back. "I love you now more than ever."


	9. Distraction

# 23: Distraction

Alex caressed Jen's hair away from her face, as the wind blew around them. The salty air was refreshing and energizing, and just sitting there on the perfectly white sand of that paradisiacal beach was all he needed.

She laughed happily, as she tried to keep her hair away from her mouth. "This is impossible!" she yelled at last and let it go. "I'm going to eat my own hair, and covered

in sand to top it off!"

He laughed along, feeling the happiest he had ever felt. "Maybe you are just looking at the problem in the wrong way. Maybe if you lie down you won't have to eat your hair."

"Or maybe," she began with a mischievous smile on her face as she stood up, "we could go into the water! That way my hair would get wet and it wouldn't fly all over the place!" She grabbed his hand and tried to force him to step up.

"I don't think so!!" he refused. "I don't want to get in the water."

"Oh come on! That's what you brought me to this beach for!"

"If I wanted to go to the water we could have jumped right off from the yacht! We came to the island to lie down on the sand and enjoy having our feet on something that's not always moving."

"Oh come on!" she insisted. "Please," she begged, giving him her best puppy eyes. He shook his head. She pouted and pretended to sniff, letting go of his hand. "I think I'm going in the water by myself then, if you don't want to come," she said quickly and ran towards the water.

"Jennifer, come on! We are supposed to be spending time together! And cuddling!" he offered.

She stopped on the edge of the water and turned to look at him. "You are the one who doesn't want to come." She shrugged. He sighed, deciding to let her have it her way. She smiled brightly when she saw him stand up and walk towards her. "You see?" she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Now we can cuddle and soak in the sea water for a while."

"I guess we can," he said, picking her up and taking her deeper into the sea before dropping her in the cool water. She yelled in surprise when her entire body submerged in the cool water at once. "You like the water? I hear it can get pretty cold this time of the year." Her answer was to splash him across the chest with the freezing water. "Well, that's mature right there!" he said, wrapping his arms around her before she could do it again.

"Would it have killed you to tell me it was freezing cold?" she asked, shivering in his embrace.

"No, but I figured you'd like the surprise," he said with a smile. She was still shivering and gave him a murderous look. "We better get out of here, come on, let's get you dry." He picked her up again and took her out of the water, both of them freezing with the combination of the cold water and the wind.

He laid her down on the sand and handed her a towel. He took one for himself and dried his body quickly. She dried as quickly as she could, but her wet hair kept her cold. "That should teach you a lesson," he said, sitting down next to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Next time I say no, you should listen."

"I can't even think right now," she moaned.

"Well," he said softly, kissing her on the side of the head. "I know a way to warm you up that we could try out."

"Oh, really?" she said, giving him a sideways glance.

"Yes, the downside is sand is likely to get in your hair."

"If you are thinking what I'm thinking then sand is likely to get in my EVERYWHERE," she answered, this time looking at him full in the face.

"It was just a suggestion." He moved in to kiss her and she mirrored his move, giving him a brief but passionate kiss.

"Maybe we should go back to the yacht," she whispered.

"Sound like a good idea," he said back. "I really like that we took this trip. I'm glad we have the chance to spend more time together and sort things out."

"Me too," she admitted, holding his hand as they made their way through the harbor. "I missed you, Alex."

"I missed you too," he said, jumping to the ship. He offered his hand and she took it while she jumped to the ship herself. He welcomed her on board with a hug and a deep kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Alex," she whispered. He pressed his forehead against hers and they just stood there for a while. "Oh Alex..."

"Alex?" He felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him softly. "Alex?"

"Major Drake, are you still with us?!" A stern voice called him. He blinked twice and looked around guiltily, seeing all four Time Force Rangers, Captain Logan and two members of the High Command somebody probably had introduced while he was mentally traveling in the yacht with Jen. He couldn't believe he had been daydreaming, at work, during such an important meeting.

"I'm sorry, sir, my thoughts wandered," he apologized, throwing a quick glance at Jen, who was looking at him as if it was the first time she had ever seen him. Trip, on the other hand, could hardly contain a smile as he looked at him, and much to his surprise, one of the High Commanders had the same look on her face. Immediately, Alex knew she was a psychic.

"Well, Major Drake, I have nothing against love, and I understand you are tired," she said softly. "But this meeting is important, so if you could reschedule all future yacht trips with Captain Scotts until after we are done, we would really appreciate it."

Jen's surprised look was the last thing he needed. There was no need to make such a big deal, his brain just needed a distraction, and a little daydreaming had never hurt anyone. And now, Jen was smiling as she looked at him as if she had seen him before.


End file.
